Help us Color The World Orange on Nov. 7 for CRPS/RSD Awareness

The third-annual Color The World Orange on Nov. 7 is less than two months away and we need everyone to get involved in order to have the biggest impact.

Color The World Orange is an annual event held the first Monday of November to spread awareness of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). Around the world on Nov. 7 supporters will be wearing orange and hosting events to spread awareness of this debilitating condition.

The easiest way to participate is to wear orange and to post pictures to social media with the hashtag: #CRPSORANGEDAY.

In past years, supporters have worn orange hats, orange wigs, orange shirts, orange shorts, orange socks, orangebracelets, orange scarves and, the most popular option, orange ribbons. We encourage supporters to be creative, have fun, and ask friends and family to get involved.

Beyond wearing orange, there are a number of additional ways to participate.

A great first step is to change your social media backgrounds and profile pictures to display the Color The World Orangelogos. Ask friends and family members to change their social media profiles during the month of November as well.

Another popular option is to throw an orange party where everything on the table is orange and everyone is encouraged to wear orange. Some supporters have also decorated the outside of their homes with Color The World Orange signs and orange decor. Download the Color The World Orange 2016 sign here: http://bit.ly/1RCkZ8O

In your community, ask local businesses to hang Color The World Orange signs and display a basket of orange ribbons and Color The World Orange brochures, which can be download here: http://bit.ly/1T9lRlJ

Another option is to plan a CRPS/RSD restaurant night where a portion of the profits are donated to a CRPS/RSD non-profit.

One of our favorite ways to get involved is to help us turn the night orange on Nov. 7. Ten buildings and landmarks have already agreed to turn orange that night including Niagara Falls, the Con Edison Clock Tower in New York, the SkyView Atlanta in Atlanta and the Terminal Tower in Cleveland, Ohio. Last year more than 30 buildings and landmarks in the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia turned orange – so let’s try to top that in 2016!

If you are in school, ask if it will plan an orange day on Nov. 7 and encourage teachers and students to wear orange. If yourschool allows bake sales, ask if one could be held in November with the proceeds donated to a CRPS/RSD non-profit. If you are in college, ask your dorm, club, fraternity or sorority to get involved and hold an orange-themed event.

Don’t forget to ask your doctor to get involved! A number of physicians participated in Color The World Orange the last two years, displaying Color The World Orange brochures for patients to learn more about CRPS/RSD, wearing orange and tweeting out their support.

Color The World Orange was started in 2014 to have one day where all those affected can join together for one common goal—bringing awareness to CRPS/RSD! We truly believe that if we stick together, our voices will be heard.

So let’s all work together to make Color The World Orange 2016 the biggest yet! Make sure to wear orange, encourage friends and family to wear orange, and post pictures to social media with the hashtag: #CRPSORANGEDAY. Be creative and have fun.